News

NGO Social Meridian launches social housing project for internally displaced

Civic sector is often the driving force in resolving the problems of internally displaced persons, NGO Social Meridian present their activities in housing, education and information sectors.

“Internally displaced cannot wait until the state changes its legal basis, they need assistance today,” said Natalia Klimova, head of Social Meridian NGO at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center (UCMC) in the framework of UCMC’s project “Spokesperson of peaceful life” supported by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the German Federal Republic.

First social housing projects for internally displaced in 2017Housing comes as one of the daunting issues that internally displaced are facing. Social Meridian representative said that construction projects that will provide housing to the internally displaced persons and socially vulnerable social groups have already been developed. The project foresees setup of construction companies as well as of facilities for production of materials for construction using funding of EU and U.S. donors. These facilities will employ internally displaced, disabled and socially vulnerable persons. Premises have already been designated for the facilities in question. It is planned that they will not work for profit or be state-owned. Social Meridian plans to implement this project in several Ukrainian regions thanks to the grant support from international partners.

“About 25 thousand square meters of social housing for internally displaced is to be built by the end of 2017,” said Natalia Klimova, head of Social Meridian NGO. Only small part of the housing will be provided for free. Majority of internally displaced persons will be able to get loans on beneficial terms to purchase the accommodation.

Distance online-based learning for children from the “grey zone” and occupied territories
School teacher and partner of Social Meridian NGO Lyubov Kartashova spoke about the recently created online-based social-and-educational network used for distance learning. Teachers register their profiles and post their teaching materials as well as homework tasks and calendar of lessons. The platform has already been launched for schools of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It is expected that the website will address the needs of children from the occupied areas and the “grey zone” who often cannot physically get to their schools. There is also an online library updated by teachers. Andriy Kononenko, co-author of the project added: “The system is crafted to each level of the IT literacy”. Each teacher has his/her own profile, can task and evaluate the students.

Setup of information resources for internally displaced
The organization also plans to launch a web site with information on all available services for internally displaced and vulnerable social groups in 2017. It will also contain a step-by-step description of the procedure how to apply and get state-provided social benefits as well as information on charity organizations and assistance they provide.

Social Meridian is also preparing a weekly newspaper that will inform on humanitarian assistance and the ways to get it. First issues are to be launched in March 2017.

Share

Topic: "Expertise will block Anti-corruption court. The tricks of politicians"

Viktoria Ptashnyk, People's Deputy of Ukraine
Anna Hopko, People's Deputy of Ukraine
Igor Starodubov, President of the Union of Experts of Ukraine
Oksana Dytynko, member of the Council of the Committee on Criminal and Criminal Procedure Law of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine
Kateryna Ryzhenko, project manager, legal advisor of TI Ukraine

Ukrainian house

2 Khreshchatyk Street

01001

KIEV

UKRAINE

11:00

Expert discussion: "Who, if not SP"

Oksana Prodan, People's Deputy of Ukraine
Lyubomyr Chorniy, chairman of the board of the Center for Public Expertise
Volodymyr Dubrovsky, Senior Economist of CASE-Ukraine, Senior Expert of the Tax and Budget Reform Group of the Reanimation Package of Reforms
Dmytro Yablonovsky, Deputy Director of the Center for Economic Strategy
Mykyta Suetin, State Expert at the Directorate for Dignified Labor Standards of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine

Ukrainian house

2 Khreshchatyk Street

01001

KIEV

UKRAINE

13:00

Topic: "How strong communities are encouraged to increase the competitiveness of their neighbors and how does decentralization help it?"

Topic: "Strengthening the influence of third power in Eastern Europe: interests and strategies of Ukraine"

Stanislav Sekrier, Senior Analyst at the Institute for European Security Studies (France)
Thomas Eder, Research Fellow at the Berlin Institute for the China Mercator Studies
Sergiy Korsunsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, Director of the Gennady Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Foreign Ministry
Igor Semyvolos, Director of the Center for Middle East Research
Kateryna Zarembo, deputy director of the "New Europe" Center, moderator

UCMC press center is a platform that allows civic activists, experts, politicians, authorities, diplomats and members of international community to conduct briefings regarding events and processes taking place in Ukraine.

NGO Ukraine Crisis Media Center has no effect on media content produced during events at the UCMC press center, provides no guarantees and will not be liable for the content of information distributed by participants during the events held at the UCMC press center, including, but not limited to the participants distributing unreliable, untruthful, incomplete, inaccurate, invalid information during UCMC press center’s events or expressing their personal opinion. Furthermore, UCMC will not be liable for any damage resulting from such distribution or related to it or losses incurred by third parties.